Bears special team coach Dave Toub figures to be an NFL head-coaching candidate.

Bears special team coach Dave Toub figures to be an NFL head-coaching candidate. (Chris Sweda/Tribune Photo)

Sherrick McManis came off the end to block a punt and Corey Wootton came up the middle to return it for a touchdown in Tennessee, and I’m thinking, Dave Toub might be one more Devin Hester touchdown return away from getting a head coaching job.

The viability of the Bears special teams genius as a head coach becomes a story every year, so, why wait?

Especially with the Texans coming to town off a game that showed their kick coverage units can be had. Because they score a lot, the Texans kick off a lot, but not out of the end zone, so, heads up, Devin.

If the Bears defense pitches a shutout, and I’m not putting anything past that bunch, then the punt-return unit will have chances. So, heads up there, too, Devin.

Either way, Toub’s name and accomplishments will come up Sunday night. You watch, Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth will talk about Toub’s magic touch and perhaps get to his candidacy to run a team.

Timely topic. We can see that the playoff spots are just about locked up, which means we also can see the sidelines that will be open, starting with the Eagles. They look awful. The whole Andy Reid thing is done. Toub played for Philadelphia in the ‘80s and coached there from 2001 until coming to the Bears in 2004. Familiarity helps, but the Eagles are just one of many jobs that could open.

Jason Garrett’s puppet regime in Dallas will get cashiered. Toub might be too smart to work for an owner posing as the worst football guy since Al Davis, but a job is a job.

Kansas City is all kinds of ugly, which should mean all kinds of change. Coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli are proving that the Bill Belichick coaching tree has no branches, if Charlie Weis hasn’t repeatedly proven that already.

The Chargers and Jets ought to be looking for coaches. Norv Turner’s San Diego offense ranks lower than the Bears’. Rex Ryan’s New York defense owns just about the worst third-down percentage in the league. Understand, Turner is supposed to be an offensive whiz and Ryan is supposed to be a defensive mind, but they can’t coach their teams to look competent in those areas. Only stupid owners can’t connect those dots.

Mike Shanahan seems to have talked himself out of a job in Washington. He seems to have coached himself out of one, as well. The Shanahan&Sons football business has produced a bunch of bad football. The question there is whether the attractiveness of Robert Griffin III is greater than the Idiocracy created by owner Daniel Snyder.

But again, a job is a job, and now we’re talking about coaching changes for every NFC East team except the Super Bowl champion Giants. Tough room, huh?

Oh, and the Browns will need a coach because the Browns always need a coach.

Toub has lasted longer than any of Lovie Smith’s assistant coaches, and we know how Smith loves to fire assistant coaches. Toub is creative and productive, traits that are important for a head coach for more than running out assistant scapegoats.

It would be great if Toub got a chance. It would be better for the Bears if he didn’t.